Tis the Season for Sweets and Treats

Revised sugar limits are now lower

Remember when we brought you the news about recommendations to limit added sugar to less than 10% of calories each day? Well, those guidelines have been revised and the bad news is you may have to pass on the double portion of chocolate cake this holiday.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended limiting added sugars to no more than 10% of calories, but has been revised to new recommendations that now bring that down to 6%. A major reason investigators suggest this reduction is because of sugars’ relationship with cardiovascular disease risk. Remember: heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Most Americans are hovering around 13% calories from sugar which means that foods with added sugars are displacing foods like fruits and vegetables that are packed with nutrients we need for good health.

There is no doubt that mastering this change will be a challenge. It forces us to take a closer look at ingredients panels to identify any sources of added sugars, reducing our recommended intake from 12 tsp sugar or less a day to the new target of 7.5 tsp or 120 calories. Start by checking the ingredients list for high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, molasses, raw sugar, honey, syrup, juice concentrate and anything ending in “ose” like sucrose.

Conquer your sweet tooth by:

• Start small by looking at your coffee or tea – if your drink of choice has sugar or sweetened creamer you could easily reach your max.
• Taking another look at what you drink. One 12 oz can of soda has 39g, just about 10 tsp sugar. Two and a half more teaspoons than is now recommended in one day.
• Make your own baked goods – when you take the time to bake breads, cakes and cookies at home, you can control the amount and kind of sugars used in your foods.
• Limit sugar-sweetened cereals – if you’re a granola lover, try making your own.
• Minimize flavored yogurts – swap with plain yogurt and fruit for a go-to snack that wins every time!
• Low fat and light salad dressings are another culprit. They swap the flavor from fat with sugar! Use regular salad dressing or make your own!

Published December 1, 2022